Sobbing benefits from leader’s misfortune

With eleven laps remaining in the IMCA Modified A Feature Saturday during the 20th annual IMCA Spring Nationals at the Beatrice Speedway, Glenwood, Iowa, driver Jesse Sobbing’s fate rested on where he wasn’t running on the track, more than where he was.

Well behind the three leaders, all former Spring Nationals champions, Sobbing watched as Beatrice driver Jordan Grabouski and Hinton, Iowa, driver Jay Noteboom came together and ended up collecting Osceola driver Dylan Smith as well.

“It looked like Jay (Noteboom) and Grabouski got together a little bit and they both went around,” Sobbing said. “Dylan (Smith) was back a little ways. He just about missed it, but he must have clipped it with the right rear and had a tire go down.”

In an instant, Sobbing went from battling to hold down fourth place, to leading the main event.

“I guess it was a good thing I wasn’t racing close with those guys,” Sobbing said. “They were a little faster. Actually, they were a lot faster.”

Grabouski and Noteboom both went to the back of the field on the restart, while Smith was forced to go to the pits.

“There was a little drama,” Beatrice Speedway promoter Toby Kruse said. “With Noteboom and Jordan, it was just two hard racers going for the same line. Jordan came back strong.”

Sobbing said the leaders’ accident made him refocus on the race.

“It made me get my head on straight when they put me in the lead by taking each other out,” Sobbing said.

Sobbing knew that Delta, Colo., driver Rick Alvarado was running on his outside during the final laps.

“These things are pretty quiet, so you could hear his motor over mine that’s for sure,” Sobbing said.

Sobbing was able to maintain the lead through the end of the race, becoming the second IMCA Modified champion crowned during the Spring Nationals event.

This is Sobbing’s first season in a Modified, after running in the SportMod division previously.

It’s not his first race of the year, however.

“This is my 12th race in a Modified,” Sobbing said. “We went down this winter to Arizona and raced quite a few races. We actually picked up three wins down there.

“But it’s good to get closer to home and win a race.”

After the incident involving the race leaders, Grabouski came back through the field to finish fourth overall in the feature.